Artificial Intelligence took by surprise a world already battling against the struggles of a global pandemic, international conflict and the financial crisis that followed afterwards. Educational teaching professionals from Cambridge University put it this way ‘Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has stormed higher education at a time when we are all still recovering from the tragedies and demands of living and working in a pandemic’ (McPherson and Canada, 2024). My life as a new graduate is intertwined with the challenges and opportunities of the world post-ChatGPT. 

Since my graduation celebration, there has been an ongoing mental rumbling about my next steps. My thoughts are something like these ‘I should write a blog about AI and continue my research on the topic. I need to secure a job that will help me meet my financial goals for housing, higher education, leisure, and investment. I must continue my swimming, running, cycling and weight lifting.’ Adapting to this new scenario is consuming my energy, resources and time. I know that I can achieve my goals, but first I need to define a set of rules, behaviours and priorities that will help me to materialise them. 

These notes are the how-to of materialising my academic aspirations in a moment of uncertainty and a gloomy perception of the world. Welcome to my AI personal notes.

’Everything related to technology. Go for it.’ The career advisor at my university encouraged me to get involved in the tech industry while I expand my research on the impact of AI in the creative industries. After the chat with the career advisor, my browser got full of tabs about AI, ethics and society. My long-term goal is to develop a career in the regulation and implementation of AI in society. The next logical step is to find a post-graduate course which connects me to a dynamic community in the AI industry and gives me access to the most current tools and resources on the subject.

I typed on Google Masters in artificial intelligence regulation ethics philosophy. The first result, below the adverts and scholarly articles, said ‘Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) | MSt in AI Ethics and Society.’ The University of Cambridge offers this master’s degree course. It costs £23,706 for Home Students and £35,556 for Overseas students. ‘I have to borrow some money from my relatives.’ I thought after looking at the course fee. ‘This course fits in my career goals, and it will provide me with the knowledge that I need to continue my research on AI.’ A second thought populated my mind. Concerns about AI and ethics sparked at the end of 2022 when ChatGPT was made available to the public worldwide. A rapid, ongoing and global conversation about the ethics and legals implications of AI populated the web. The European Union became the first governmental institution to regulate AI by publishing the EU AI Act in 2023. In August 2024, California lawmakers created a bill that gives the state of California the power to sue tech companies when serious harm, like death or property damage, has been caused by their AI products. This piece of regulation also conditions the public release of AI technology to a safety test.

If the bill is signed into law, the state will become the standard-bearer for regulating a technology that has exploded in recent years, particularly with the introduction of humanlike chatbots and realistic image and video generators. Although the European Union has created the A.I. Act, no U.S. laws that restrict the use of riskier technology like facial recognition software have been passed. Read the full article written in the New York Times.

Cecilia Kang, who reports on the developments of AI for the New York Times, wrote the extract you read above. It is a clear summary of what has happened in the world of policy and regulation since the public release of ChatGPT. The United Kingdom has opted for the publication of principles instead of a perpetual piece of law that limits the development and benefits of AI to the citizens of the UK. Artificial intelligence is a fast-changing industry, and I would like to be part of a community of researchers eager to know how AI positively and negatively impacts societies worldwide. 

The University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge offer MA courses on Artificial Intelligence created by their future technologies institutions. Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence – part of the University of Cambridge – explores the impact of AI and guarantees that up-to-the-minute research developments inform the MA course. The Edinburgh Futures Institute is a space for learning, research and innovation at the University of Edinburgh. Master’s degree from these universities gives students access to a community of multidisciplinary researchers who work with the latest advancements in this world-changing technology. 

After doing my online search for MAs in AI, I reflected on my professional journey and the motivation behind pursuing a master’s degree in AI and ethics. In 2022, I volunteered for Pride in London as a Supervisor. I believe in the importance of London Pride as a key date in the calendar when people have the opportunity to learn about different communities and raise awareness of the victories and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. During the 2023 summer, I did an internship for the Shepherd’s Bush Green Project. A local project born during the first year of the COVID pandemic as an innovative way of socialising while respecting the 2m social distancing guideline in the UK.  The project continues offering free gardening spaces across Shepherd’s and White City (London) – a source of fresh air for those Londoners whose living conditions do not include an outdoor space. As part of my internship, I wrote an article about the project’s mission and vision and created a promotional video of the neighbours supporting the project.  

Embodying people’s ideas and representing their vision in different formats have been the common thread of my volunteering experiences. Please check my volunteering experience on my LinkedIn profile; it motivates me to continue my education in AI regulation, ethics, and governance. Getting the opportunity to do a master’s degree in the ethics and governance of AI will provide me with the tools and resources to exploit and share the benefits of AI to UK society and communities worldwide.